


But In Hindsight

by kathode_ray_tube



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Iwaizumi Hajime Is So Done, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru Angst, M/M, Oikawa Tooru is a Mess, Sad with a Happy Ending, could be platonic or romantic, interpret it as you wish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:27:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24149680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kathode_ray_tube/pseuds/kathode_ray_tube
Summary: Because, at the end of the day, Oikawa Tooru is too broken and too complicated and too annoying for anyone to stay by his side forever.Poor Iwa-chan, Oikawa decides as he resolves not to cry anymore. Having to put up with him for so long.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime & Oikawa Tooru, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Kudos: 39





	But In Hindsight

It is obvious now.

Oikawa Tooru leans his head against the cool window, the soft music playing from his earbuds his only consolation as he watches rain drip from the sky, dark and swirling and heavy, mirroring how his heart feels in his chest.

_It’s so obvious now. But it’s too late. And I’m alone. Again. Because, at the end of the day, I am too broken and too complicated and too annoying for anyone to stay by my side forever._

_Poor Iwa-chan,_ Tooru thinks, tears dripping down his cheeks. _Having to put up with me for so long._

Tooru closes his eyes and cries.

* * *

The first time they’d interacted in middle school, Iwaizumi Hajime had made fun of Tooru. Tooru was a bit offended—who would make fun of such an awesome person like himself?—but mostly amused, and had retaliated a few days with a well-placed comment that had Iwaizumi spitting fire at him for the rest of the school year.

The second time, it had been a year later. It was an accident and now, looking back, Tooru did feel bad. He wasn’t a confrontational person, so it couldn’t have been anything but an accident, but he’d been turning around with his arms flailing everywhere in an effort to annoy his seatmate Hanamaki and accidentally whacked the unfortunate student sitting on the other side of them.

The unfortunate student happened to be a sleepy Iwaizumi, who had just woken up from his post-lunch nap and punched Tooru in the stomach with no care that they were right in front of the teacher, landing them both in a lunch detention from a teacher who was tired of their antics.

Tooru cried, Iwaizumi smirked, they argued for the entirety of English class, and landed themselves in more detention.

At some point, once they were on the volleyball team together, the animosity changed into a weird sort of friendship. Tooru would offer Iwaizumi food, Iwaizumi would fight off Tooru’s meaner classmates, Tooru would drape himself over Iwa-chan’s shoulders and poke at his muscles, and Iwa-chan would reply with a smack to the head and a gruff “get off, Trashykawa.”

It was then that Oikawa Tooru finally made real friends for the first time. After Iwa-chan came his seatmate Hanamaki Takahiro, also on the volleyball team. Then Hanamaki’s best friend, Matsukawa Issei, joined the three of them, and it was the first time Tooru felt like he belonged.

But where Tooru went, insecurity followed. And where insecurity went, so did all of Tooru’s fake, too-bright smiles and fake, too-flirty winks and the fake confidence and the fake happiness and the fake promises and he was so _fake._ He _hated_ himself.

Even then, it was like Iwa-chan could see through him. Just one look and Iwa-chan would know, followed by a light punch that brought him out of the endless storm of self-loathing in his head and a “settle down, Crappykawa” that both irritated and comforted him at the same time.

It was like Iwaizumi was the only person who saw him for who he really was, the only person who saw the real him, the side of Tooru that obsessed over aliens and refused to sleep before two in the morning and hid his insecurity behind a mask of false confidence and flirtatious behavior. The only person who could look at him and realize that Tooru needed something to pull him back to reality, out of his thoughts and self-destructive behavior.

Tooru wondered how long it would last.

* * *

Tooru was used to doing things on his own, used to his bad habits and so when Iwa-chan came into his life, it was a relief at first, to have someone who just _looked_ at him and understood. But old habits died hard, and Tooru still didn’t know how to reach out when he needed it.

“You’re going to make yourself sick like this, Crappykawa. You’re going to get diabetes and get fat and die.”

Tooru had glanced back at Iwaizumi, the third milk bread of the morning dangling from his mouth. It was on purpose; he didn’t really need this much milk bread, but lately Iwa-chan hadn’t been _noticing_ him. Maybe if he irritated Iwa-chan enough, he’d get punched, and it would have the same effect as the light, grounding punches that Iwa-chan used to throw at him to bring Tooru out of his head.

It wasn’t that Tooru was a masochist, nor was it self-harm. Iwa-chan’s punches were never that vicious. It was just that the minor pain was enough to make him forget about the pain in his chest, the pain that came from insecurity and expectations and the need to be more, be better—

 _This is selfish,_ Tooru’s conscience told him. _You shouldn’t just be pushing his buttons relentlessly when he doesn’t notice something’s wrong with you. Just be mature and tell him what’s going on. Be mature and talk about it instead of irritating him into punching you._

“I’ll still be less fat than you, Iwa-chan,” chirped Tooru, ignoring his conscience. Talking about his problems wouldn’t help. And he didn’t want to seem weak, anyways.

Iwaizumi looked at him.

Tooru felt a frisson of fear. _Does he understand what I’m trying to do? If he does, he won’t do it anymore. No, worse than that, he’ll think I’m weird. Weirder than I already am, anyways. What if he won’t want to be friends anymore?_

A light kick landed on his shin, and Tooru yelped, dropping his milk bread.

“Shut up, Shittykawa,” said Iwaizumi, eyes dark with something Tooru didn’t recognize.

* * *

Tooru looked back when Iwaizumi grabbed his arm on their way out of the gym.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you?”

 _What’s wrong with me? I wonder,_ Tooru mused to himself. Pushing away his tiredness and the frustration he felt at the mere thought of the pest that was Kageyama Tobio, he slipped on his customary grin and flashed a peace sign with the hand that Iwaizumi wasn’t gripping, winking at an impassive Iwaizumi. “Nothing! I’m perfectly fine, Iwa-chan.”

 _I don’t believe you,_ said Iwa-chan’s gaze.

Tooru looked away. A small part of him wished that Iwa-chan would just tear down his walls and force him to face his fears. The other, larger part of him raised the walls even higher and begged Iwaizumi not to notice how much he was hurting, not to notice how pathetic he was, because how pathetic was it to be this insecure and worried over a talented first year?

“I’m fine, seriously!” Tooru persisted. “Don’t worry so much over nothing, Iwa-chan! Your nonexistent brain will melt.”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and dropped the subject.

Tooru could feel his heart drop just as fast.

A few weeks later, after Tooru nearly slapped Kageyama in the face, his heart soared again when the vicious headbutt from his best friend confirmed that he still cared.

* * *

High school changed their dynamic.

Tooru slammed up his walls and went through girls like girls went through clothes, flashing flirty winks and cheesy peace signs and fake smiles and annoying quips. Pretty? Yes. Popular? Definitely. Happy? _That didn’t matter, he just had to take down Shiratorizawa and he would be._

Iwaizumi let down his walls, making friends and bantering and winning school-wide arm wrestling competitions ( _what a brute,_ Tooru thinks). His genuine smiles attracted genuine girls who he genuinely turned down because he didn’t have time, between volleyball and grades and friends.

Tooru and Iwa-chan were still an inseparable pair, but inseparable started seeming separable when once-comfortable walks home filled with quips and barbs were replaced by Tooru’s relentless joking followed by tense silences. Not long after, Tooru started staying at the volleyball gym until close to midnight, sometimes studying, sometimes practicing his jump serves, sometimes just sitting in a corner and listening to music and reflecting.

Iwaizumi would sometimes stay with him, warning him not to overwork himself under threat of getting punched, occasionally working together on homework or sharing music or spiking Tooru’s sets at plastic waterbottles. Those nights were the best nights, but they weren’t very often, because the truth of the matter was that Iwaizumi did have a life outside of Tooru. It had been hard to accept at first, but Tooru decided that that was a bad mindset and that he was lucky to have Iwa-chan hanging out with him at all.

In the end, it was Iwa-chan’s presence that made the loss to Karasuno bearable.

* * *

Their first big fight comes near the end of their second year of college.

It was inevitable, really, with how much Tooru has been provoking Iwaizumi and how little he has been reacting. Tooru only now realizes, too late, that Iwa-chan had been bottling all his thoughts, all his emotions, everything up in an effort not to hurt Tooru, and that he’s finally snapped.

“The hell is your problem?” snaps Iwaizumi, shoving Tooru backwards. Tooru trips over himself and onto the coffee table, and under normal circumstances, Iwa-chan would already be making sure that he’s okay or, at the very least, trying to calm himself down, but today is not normal by any means.

Tooru feels fear. Genuine fear. Borderline panic. Not because he’s scared of what Iwaizumi will do to him—there’s no way Iwa-chan would ever actually hurt him, no matter how angry he might be—but because _everybody leaves._

It’s inevitable, their separation one day. It always has been, but _it can’t happen now._ He has to be able to at least pretend to himself that maybe everything will be okay, which it won’t but still, it’s better than knowing that his best friend hates him.

Tooru doesn’t want to, can’t deal with this right now. They’re two weeks from the end of the school year, a week and a half from finals and he knows that if this happens now, everything he’s worked for will fall apart. Tooru himself will fall apart. _This can’t happen now._

“Iwa-chan—”

“Don’t you try to _Iwa-chan_ your way out of this, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi snarls, grabbing the collar of his shirt and _oh, he’s really angry._ “I know what you’re thinking but that doesn’t matter right now. I’ll give you one chance to explain yourself, and it better be a good explanation or I swear I’ll…”

“Iwa-chan, please, I just…” Tooru trails off, averting his gaze. _How do I even explain myself? I screwed up. This is all my fault. He doesn’t deserve to have to deal with me. He deserves to have a better friend. I’m selfish. I should’ve listened to my conscience. I’m a mess. I’m awful._

Iwaizumi just stares at him, expecting an answer.

Tooru bows his head. “I’m sorry.”

“Is that all you have to say? Sorry?” spits Iwaizumi, pushing Tooru away with clear disgust in his voice. “God, Oikawa. I never expected you to be a saint, but I never thought that you would use me like this!”

Tooru can’t hold back the tears. “I’m _sorry_ , okay? I’m really, really sorry for everything and I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness—”

“That’s not what I’m talking about!” Iwaizumi roars. “If something was going on, why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you _trust_ me? I asked you so many times! It’s been years!”

 _Because if I tell you everything about me, you’ll leave me too,_ screams Tooru in his mind, _because that’s just what happens. Anyone that knows me for who I am leaves me, and you’ll do just the same! That’s just normal, and I won’t hold it against you, but I wanted to put it off!_

But Iwaizumi clearly isn’t done. “You pushed me away every time, only to use me so callously when you felt like it! Did you ever think about how _I_ felt? I might not show it, but I have my own thoughts and feelings, Oikawa! Did you ever even see me as a real friend? Or did you just keep me around to keep a check on your stupid ego? Or was I just here to fix your problems?”

The words hit Tooru harder than any punch or slap or volleyball serve. Guilt curls in his chest; Tooru feels like his stomach is eating itself. _Is that really how Iwa-chan thinks of me?_

“You’re right, Oikawa,” declares Iwaizumi, delivering the final blow. “You don’t deserve my forgiveness. You said that. Your self-centeredness has gone too far. Our entire friendship revolved around you and your problems. Ones that you wouldn’t even tell me. Ones that I had to drag out of you, kicking and screaming. Well, don’t worry, I’ll solve as many of your problems for you as you want me to and then get the hell out of your life. That’s what you’d like, isn’t it?”

Tooru breaks.

“Iwa-chan, don’t say that!” he sobs and sinks to his knees, burying his face in his hands. “Don’t ever say that!”

Iwaizumi storms out of their dorm room, slamming the door so hard that the floor shakes.

Tooru cries harder than he ever has after any loss to Shiratorizawa. Losing a game, of course, isn’t easy. But losing his best friend?

The tears almost choke him and Tooru leaves the living room in search of a box of tissues and a phone to call Hanamaki.

* * *

After the fight, Iwa-chan apologizes first.

It’s not really an apology, but Tooru knows it’s intended as one when he sees the bento, tied with that alien-themed wrap he found online that he’s been gushing about for weeks on end, sitting innocuously on the kitchen table in the morning, a week after their fight. A week they’ve spent ignoring each other, a week they haven’t spoken a single word to each other, a week until the school year ends. Tears almost well up in his eyes again, but he has a class in ten minutes, so he tucks the bento into his bag, adjusts his glasses, and rushes out the door.

That afternoon, when Tooru is in the library finishing up his research project for astrophysics class, Iwaizumi comes up to his table, uncharacteristically reserved. “Hey, Oikawa.”

Tooru peeks up at Iwaizumi, and he doesn’t know what Iwaizumi sees but he softens, regret filling his eyes. He drags out the chair next to Tooru’s and sits down. “Let’s talk.”

Tooru doesn’t know what to say, and he tells the other boy so.

Iwaizumi’s face falls and he just nods. A tense silence falls between the two of them.

 _Will we ever be the same again?_ Tooru wants to ask, the words on the tip of his tongue but never leaving his mouth. _Can we fix things? I miss you. I want you by my side. You’re my best friend. My only best friend. You’re the most important person in my life. Will I get you back if I prove that I can change? Will I get you back if I become a better person? I’ll become a good person just for you to come back. I just want you back. Please._

Five silent minutes later, Iwaizumi bows and excuses himself, letting Tooru know that he won’t be back until late that night so there’s no need to wait up for him.

Tooru returns the bow with a polite smile, but as Iwaizumi leaves, Tooru clenches the fist that’s hidden under the table, wishing he’d said something. Anything.

* * *

The train ride to Miyagi is painfully awkward. They’re only taking the train together because of the discount, otherwise they would’ve taken different trains. Different routes, or different times; different train cars or at least different rows.

Tooru stares out the window at the passing scenery with his headphones in, leaning away from Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi reads a cooking magazine with a bento on his folding table, leaning away from Tooru.

The armrest between them remains untouched, and it’s unnerving. Tooru can clearly remember, as if it were yesterday, himself and Iwa-chan taking the train together to Tokyo to start at their college. Tooru remembers invading Iwa-chan’s personal space to alternate between sleeping on his shoulder, giving tips on the sudoku puzzle at the back of that week’s issue of the magazine, and stealing the tamagoyaki from his best friend’s bento because “two pieces aren’t enough for a tall, handsome man like me, Iwa-chan!”

Tooru sighs heavily, side-eyeing the tamagoyaki in Iwaizumi’s bento. He still doesn’t know where he stands with Iwa-chan and so he can’t steal it, which is a pity because he _really_ wants tamagoyaki. Tooru turns back to the window and slouches against it; watching the landscape fly by is a good backdrop for the random thoughts flying by in his head fueled by the lo-fi playing softly from his headphones.

Sometimes, Tooru runs through hypothetical situations in his head. Maybe it’s a fire or an earthquake, a nuclear war or an alien invasion. At this point, he almost hopes something life-threatening will happen, just so he can prove his devotion and loyalty to Iwa-chan and rescue him and then everything will go back to normal.

It’s how it works in fiction, after all—when the love interest screws up and the protagonist gets angry at them, the love interest does everything they can to regain the protagonist’s favor but remains unsuccessful until they rescue the protagonist from a life-or-death situation. And then they kiss and make up and get together and live happily ever after.

But this isn’t one of the crappy movies that Tooru makes Iwa-chan watch with him. This is real life, and fires and earthquakes and nuclear wars and alien invasions don’t really happen in real life. At least not in their real life. And just like those don't seem to be anywhere close to happening in real life, neither does reconciliation. Thinking about this just makes Tooru want to cry. The sad lo-fi mix isn't helping.

One part of Tooru’s mind wonders how sad he must look for Iwaizumi to tap him on the shoulder and say, “Oikawa, you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Tooru replies automatically, not even bothering to fake his customary smile.

Iwaizumi hesitates, then picks up the last piece of rolled omelette in his bento. “You want tamagoyaki?”

* * *

The tension between Tooru and Iwaizumi has reached new, unsurmountable heights. This leads to him walking out early on a reunion with the Aoba Johsai volleyball club, much to the disappointment of the rest of his old team.

Even with Tooru clinging to Hanamaki and Iwaizumi staying by Matsukawa’s side the entire time, the awkwardness of simply sitting at the same table (of course Makki and Mattsun want to sit together, they haven’t seen each other in person since they graduated high school) is enough for Tooru to leave the restaurant after barely being able to force down one order of sushi.

The spring air is cool on Tooru’s face as he leaves the restaurant with a bright smile and a wave goodbye to his kouhai, heading for a park that he and Iwa-chan used to hang out at when they weren’t at volleyball practice or busy with school. Revisiting some good memories would be nice, to block out the discomfort of everything that has been going on lately.

“O-oikawa-san? What are you doing here?”

"The Great King?"

Tooru turns to face a kouhai he hasn’t seen since the match between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa. His gaze drifts from the black-haired, blue-eyed boy to the orange-haired, still-short boy hiding behind his kouhai, and his mind drifts to a promise made to himself: _I’ll become a good person, I’ll change, I’ll be better._

Tooru feels himself smiling genuinely for the first time since returning to Miyagi. “Tobio-chan, chibi-chan. How are you doing?”

“O-oikawa-san, did you just smile at us?”

* * *

The new school year starts and Tooru spends most of his time hanging out with his new roommate, one of the guys from the volleyball team, trying not to think about Iwaizumi, but it’s inevitable when Tooru is cleaning up the living room after movie night with Bokuto Koutarou (Tooru swears it’s Bokuto’s fault for starting the “let’s throw popcorn at the bad actors” movie night tradition) and finds the Godzilla keychain that Iwa-chan thought he’d lost two years ago.

That night finds Tooru sitting by the window at two thirty in the morning, staring out at the dark, stormy sky and wishing he could see the stars that he and Iwa-chan had gazed up at years ago, wondering how life turned out this way.

In hindsight, it’s obvious.

It’s Tooru’s own doing, of course, and he accepts this as he leans his head against the cool window, the soft music playing from his earbuds his only consolation as he watches rain drip from the sky, dark and swirling and heavy, mirroring how his heart feels in his chest.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?”

Tooru jumps at the voice, swiping a hand across his eyes. _Crap, no, he can’t see me like this. This isn’t me, this isn’t—I don’t want anyone to see me like this, so weak, so pathetic, crap, crap, crap._ “Ah, no, it’s nothing! This song is sad.” Tooru winces at the lame excuse.

Bokuto tilts his head to the side and steals one of Tooru’s earbuds to listen. “Oh, lo-fi? I used to listen to a lot of lo-fi when I was sad. Feels better to sulk a bit, right?”

Tooru can feel his face burn in embarrassment, and he buries it in his arms. “Kou-chan—”

“You’ll be okay,” interrupts Bokuto, gold eyes staring at Tooru intently. They’re both silent for a while, then the intense stare melts into a proud smile. “And it’s not weak to cry. Akaashi said so! Everybody feels down sometimes. I’d be glad to listen to you if you need it, Oikawa, you’re a really great guy.”

Tooru sniffles wetly. “Thanks, Kou-chan. I really appreciate it.”

“That’s what roommates are for!” Bokuto grins. “So what’s wrong?”

Tooru genuinely opens up for the first time. In the back of his mind, he feels guilty it’s not Iwaizumi he’s spilling his heart to, as it’s Iwa-chan who has been there for him all these years, but then Bokuto nearly sets off the fire alarm trying to make tea for him and Tooru can’t find any towels fast enough and Bokuto ends up sobbing over burned hands.

In they end, Tooru takes responsibility and makes them both mug brownies at three in the morning, which is clearly a mistake because now Kou-chan is too excited to sleep, and they alternate between watching the X-Files and just talking until they’re both late for morning practice.

* * *

Hanamaki and Matsukawa really are the worst at making Tooru feel better. When he complains to them about feeling awkward around Iwa-chan during their weekly video call, they just laugh at him. Despite being much nicer, Mr. Refreshing-kun—Sugawara Koushi—isn’t much better.

“Well, sometimes when one door closes in life, another one opens,” suggests Sugawara as he passes the volleyball to Tooru. “Change is natural. Maybe you and Iwaizumi just weren’t suited for each other. Or maybe you’ll meet someone new who’s better for you than Iwaizumi?”

“Between you, Kou-chan, and Tetsu-chan, I have enough new people in my life,” Tooru says crossly, passing the ball back with a slightly awry dig.

 _I don’t want anyone other than Iwa-chan, anyways,_ thinks Tooru as he moves to the left, where Sugawara has aimed his dig. The thought of meeting someone who could actually replace his best friend makes his heart twinge a bit. _I mean, I like my new friends and I wouldn’t trade them for the world, but I still want Iwa-chan back._

 _Maybe it’s selfish, wanting all of them for myself,_ Tooru admits to himself, sending the ball back towards his newest practice partner. _But what’s so wrong about wanting my friend back?_

Sugawara catches the ball instead of returning it, looking past Tooru with a smile. “Well, it seems like some of your old friends are here.”

Tooru turns around, and at the other end of the gym stands Hanamaki and Matsukawa, both wrapped in scarves and jackets and yawning widely. “Makki, Mattsun! What are you doing here?”

“Taking you out,” says Hanamaki between yawns.

“And off Sugawara’s hands,” adds Matsukawa. “You should feel very grateful, Oikawa. Makki got up at four in the morning to pick me up and get us both over here.”

“That is a safety hazard,” Tooru says seriously, still not quite believing his eyes. “Why are you here anyways?”

Hanamaki gives Tooru an unimpressed look. “You think we’d just abandon you and Iwaizumi to, what did you call it, an early grave of awkwardness and—”

“I was being melodramatic and you know it!” Tooru snipes. “C’mon, why are you actually here?”

“Sugawara said so,” say Makki and Mattsun at the same time.

At Tooru’s incredulous glare, Sugawara just flashes a wide, unapologetic grin.

“C’mon, Oikawa,” Matsukawa yawns, tossing a packet of milk bread to Tooru. “We have a reservation at a ramen place in twenty minutes.”

Tooru stares down at the milk bread—the packaging indicates that it’s from his favorite bakery back in Miyagi, which is hours away in the opposite direction from where Makki and Mattsun came from—and reflects on the fact that _ramen._

 _Maybe they’re not so bad at making me feel better,_ Tooru muses, and instantly wants to eat his words a second later, a painful thump-squeeze nearly making his heart give out when Yahaba Shigeru and Kyoutani Kentarou show up with a confused Iwaizumi Hajime between them.

* * *

Lunch is every bit as awkward as Tooru expected it to be, with Makki and Mattsun’s banter taking up most of the silence and Yahaba and Kyoutani’s bickering filling the rest of it. Tooru doesn’t say a word the entire time—what’s the point of faking being happy if everyone here knows what’s up?—and neither does Iwaizumi.

While the four culprits of this awful lunch meeting are fighting over who pays the check, Tooru steals a marker and tape from the front desk, writes “I hate you all </3” on four napkins, and discretely tapes the napkins to the backs of the jackets of four terribly annoying friends.

Iwaizumi snorts, but doesn’t say anything.

The two of them sit at the table in silence, watching their friends wrestle their way to the counter to the alarm of every single person in the restaurant.

Tooru eyes Iwaizumi from across the table, looking away when his gaze is returned.

Coughing awkwardly, Tooru looks around the restaurant again. _Does it really take this long for them to figure out who’s paying for the food?_

“Sorry.”

 _I can’t do this right now._ Tooru whips around to Iwaizumi, pointing a finger. “Don’t make this sad! I used my expensive concealer today!”

“Fine,” says Iwaizumi, looking a bit affronted.

They sit in stifling silence again, then Tooru clears his throat. “But for the record, I’m more sorry. I know I screwed up.”

“You did,” Iwaizumi sighs, but there’s no condemnation in his tone.

Tooru exaggerates a sad face.

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes. “Trashykawa.”

“I said I’m sorry,” whines Tooru, circling around the table to lean on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “I really am. I missed you.”

“Of course you did.”

Tooru sat up. “I had to be _responsible_ , Iwa-chan! It was _awful,_ and I had to stop Kou-chan from burning down our entire dorm twice!”

A wry smile takes over Iwaizumi’s face. “Serves you right. Now you know what it feels like for me to deal with you.”

Tooru sticks his tongue out. “Mean, Iwa-chan!”

 _Things will be alright,_ decides Tooru as he wraps himself around Iwa-chan and lets the shorter boy stroke his hair, to the horrified amusement of their returning friends. _Everything will be okay._

**Author's Note:**

> My mind runs away from me at 3 am in the morning. Editing at 9:30 am means I don't really know at all what I was going for while writing this. Please save me.
> 
> Actually, writing Oikawa's depressing lo-fi scenes were inspired by the fact that a sad lo-fi mix--InYourMix's "the loneliest feeling in the world"--came up on autoplay while I was writing this and all of a sudden the story took a suuuuper dark turn (which I deleted) so. Fun.


End file.
